Let Your Stars Shine Bright! – Planetarium for the Classroom

One of the most wonderful things about the stars and the universe is that there is so much to learn about and see. Visiting planetariums can make a great science related field trip for many kids. For some people, there are often not enough funds or resources to make field trips possible.

A site called Stellarium is making it possible for many children to see some of the greatest wonders of the universe. This open source program is available for Mac, Windows and Linux. It lets you put a virtual planetarium right onto your computer! Your kids will get to see space just as if they were looking out through a real telescope, with their own eyes or with binoculars!

There a tons of videos that show people using this program in many different ways.

With Stellarium, you can see a full view of the sky, along with information on whatever celestial body is in that spot that you choose. You can also drag the view to other areas and add grid lines and more to each shot you look at, along with planets, nebulas and more.

With a night vision option, you can even bring your computer into different areas and still have a great view. You can change so many options, the possibilities are almost endless!

Stellarium is a great tool to use for those who are limited by resources, whether it is money or time. Having a planetarium on your computer is a great way to stay up with technology while learning and exploring our universe!